Jul AUGSep 171999 20002001 1             captures             17 Aug 00 - 17 Aug           00CloseHelp    NEWS BRIEF      Fall,       1999
""By             equipping people with the skills to participate in the 'information             revolution,' Neighborhood Networks is preparing them to take a more             active role in our society."- HUD Secretary Andrew             Cuomo" 
Neighborhood Networks       Initiative Marks 500-Center MilestoneConcept Becomes a Successful       Reality       
     That       computer technology will unlock the door to self-sufficiency and economic       opportunity was the concept behind Neighborhood Networks as U.S.       Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) planners envisioned the       initiative four years ago.     Now four years       later, the concept has become a successful reality. The initiative has       broadened dramatically, responding to residents of HUD-assisted and/or       -insured housing communities nationwide with programs and services in the       areas of education, health care, social services, employment,       transportation and child care. In July, a celebration of 500 centers in       operation marked the initiative's presence in every corner of the nation.       More than 700 more centers are in       development.     "For individuals,       Neighborhood Networks centers are an assurance of opportunity for a better       life. For our nation, centers play an important role in our national       economy," said HUD Assistant Secretary William Apgar. "Centers are       valuable because although America is enjoying its greatest economic       recovery in recent history, segments of our population still remain left       behind."     Those "left behind" were moved       to the fore when HUD examined its housing portfolio several years       ago.     "In looking at our housing       portfolio, it became apparent that one important but overlooked investment       was in people. While the department spent decades financing and       rehabilitating properties, we did not invest in those who were living in       them," said Nicolas Retsinas, director, Joint Center for Housing Studies       at Harvard University and former HUD assistant secretary for       housing/federal housing commissioner. "In 1995, we changed that by       creating Neighborhood Networks."       

Continued on page 4       
Centers Underscore Need       for a Computer-Savvy America
     Brooklyn's Starrett at Spring Creek is like a colossal city       within a city. An estimated 20,000 New Yorkers live in 21-story apartment       buildings so tall they seem to break the clouds. This is the nation's       largest rental housing development, so large that its ethnic and economic       mix make it a microcosm of America.      
Grove             Neighbohood Network Center, Greeley, Colo., Technical Online Service             Coordinator Thom Mahoney (center) accepts a HUD Best Practices Award             from Saul Ramirez, Jr., HUD Deputy Secretary (left) and William             Apgar, HUD Assistant Secretary for Housing/Federal Housing             Commissioner.            
See story       inside...
     Here,       the Starrett Information Technology and Education Center, a Neighborhood       Networks center, recently opened at this U.S. Department of Housing and       Urban Development-assisted property. Pentium II PC's-25 of them-are       humming, each one equipped with a CD ROM. There are scanners, color       printers and Internet access and programs and activities planned around       them for residents of every age. Center organizers know the statistics and       the implications of the imbalance between the "haves and the have nots"       when it comes to computers.       
Continued on page 4 
From Across AmericaStakeholders Affirm Neighborhood Networks' FutureHUD's             Henry Colonna, Neighborhood Networks Senior Resident Initiatives             Specialist; Anne Kizzier, Louisiana Multifamily Program Center             Director; and Charles Famuliner, Neighborhood Networks National             Field Director, unveil Neighborhood Networks' new         look.     More than 1,000 Neighborhood Networks stakeholders from       across the nation convened at HUD's 1999 Best Practices and Technical       Assistance Symposium where they came to learn, network, accept awards and       celebrate a milestone - the opening of 500 Neighborhood Networks centers.       The conference featured technical tracks on workforce development, center       development, sustainability, communications and marketing, partnership       development and leadership       training.     Acknowledging the success of       the initiative, HUD named Neighborhood Networks among a select group of       100 "Best Practices."     In a speech at the       gathering, William C. Apgar, HUD Assistant Secretary for Housing/Federal       Housing Commissioner, shared his insights about the importance of       Neighborhood Networks centers in communities nationwide. In recognition of       the 500-center milestone, he presented certificates to Devorah Fong,       Director of Public Affairs and Community Relations at Starrett at Spring       Creek, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Deborah Van Amerongen, Director of Multifamily       Housing for HUD's New York Hub. With 20,000 residents, Starrett is the       largest HUD property in the nation.      Neighborhood Networks             centers, like We Care Center in Virginia Beach, Va., used an exhibit             to describe their center's       activities.     "Neighborhood       Networks centers are improving the lives of individuals throughout       America. At the same time, they are revitalizing communities and building       a strong national economy," Apgar said, "and that benefits       everyone."     Other key speakers were Reba       Cook, HUD Acting Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily       Housing, who inspired the crowd with examples of how residents and       communities are benefiting from Neighborhood Networks centers, and Herman       Ransom, HUD's Kansas City Multifamily Housing Hub Director, who presented       inspirational personal experiences working with residents at Neighborhood       Networks centers.       
Continued on page 3       
Neighborhood Networks Wins Best Practices AwardsThe             Gateway @ Edgewood Terrace in Washington, D.C. was among the             award-winning Neighborhood Networks centers. Shown are Saul Ramirez             Jr., HUD Deputy Secretary; Albert Browne, Vice President, Community             Preservation and Development Corp. who accepted the award; Leslie A.             Steen, President, Community Preservation and Development Corp.;             William Apgar; and Karen Miller, Secretary Representative,             HUD.
Neighborhood Networks was named one the nation's leading       community development programs, winning 16 local and national Best       Practices awards at Building a Better Tomorrow, HUD's Best Practices and       Technical Assistance Symposium. HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo called these       winners the "best of the best" in community development practice.      

Continued on page 3 

Stakeholders, Continued from page 2      

     Speaker John Henry Gregory,       President and CEO, Greenbrier Enrichment Center in Columbus, Ohio, lauded       residents who had "beat all the odds to achieve success."            Residents Stephanie Thompson,       Communities Online, Baltimore; Kate Cotter, St. Peter Manor, Memphis,       Tenn.; Michelle Noreikis, La Grave Learning Center, Grand Forks, Calif.,       Linda Brown, University Canyon, San Diego, Calif., and Abraham Mengistu,       Maggie Gibson, Portland, Ore., shared their personal success stories       about learning essential computer skills, getting jobs, earning college       degrees and sharing their knowledge with others, and praised the       initiative for providing them with opportunity. More than 40 residents       from around the country participated in focus groups designed to help       evaluate and improve the initiative.            For more information, call the       Neighborhood Networks Information Center toll-free at (888) 312-2743 or       visit the website at http://web.archive.org/web/20000817024400/http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwindex.html.       

Best Practices Awards, Continued from page 2      
John             German of Non-Profit Computing, Inc., in N.Y., presented the             workshop, "Identifying Resources on the         Internet."
     The national Neighborhood       Networks initiative was selected for the important role it plays in       helping residents achieve economic self-sufficiency. Montgomery Townhouses       Neighborhood Networks Center in Philadelphia, Pa., Gateway at Edgewood       Terrace in Washington, D.C., and the nonprofit Common-Bond of St. Paul,       Minn., which operates several Neighborhood Networks centers, were also       among the top 100.     These centers and       consortia also received 1999 Best Practices recognition:       
- Grove Neighborhood Network, Greeley, Colo.         
- Eastwood Neighborhood Networks Learning Center, Chicago, Ill.         
- Communities Online (Orchard Mews Apartments), Baltimore, Md.         
- LSS Neighborhood Networks Computer Center, Buffalo, N.Y.         
- Neighborhood Networks Center at Heritage Park in Elmira, N.Y., and         Stewart Park in Corning, N.Y.         
- Friendship Village Computer Learning Center, Virginia Beach, Va.         
- Germano Millgate Neighborhood Networks Learning Center, Chicago,         Ill.         
- Englewood Garden Apartments Neighborhood Networks Center, Chicago,         Ill.         
- Fox View's Career and Computer Center, Carpentersville, Ill.         
- Hawthorne Village Apartments Neighborhood Networks Center, Moscow,         Idaho         
- Houston Neighborhood Networks, Inc. (consortium), Houston, Texas         
- Washington State Neighborhood Networks Consortium, Seattle, Wash.         
Newswatch
     The Nation's             Cities Weekly, a trade publication published by the National             League of Cities, reported in September on the Neighborhood Networks             initiative reaching more than 500 centers in operation.                  As part of an article featuring             local HUD Best Practices winners, The Washington Post             in August highlighted The Gateway @ Edgewood Terrace at Edgewood             Terrace Apartments in northeast Washington, D.C.                  The Christian Science             Monitor in July spotlighted the Neighborhood Networks center             at Edgewood Terrace and the Neighborhood Networks initiative as part             of a larger article on the use of computers in the "war against             poverty." In addition, Federal Computer Week showcased             Neighborhood Networks in a piece about closing the "digital divide."                  Inside Technology             Training, a monthly trade magazine, highlighted the             Neighborhood Networks initiative in a May article about community             technology centers. Also in May, the Baltimore Sun,             the weekly Baltimore Chronicle and the NBC TV             affiliate WBAL-TV 11, featured stories on the grand             opening of the Neighborhood Networks center at Cherrydale Apartments             in Baltimore. An April story in the daily Chicago             Defender noted the grand opening of the Neighborhood             Networks center at Parkway Gardens in Chicago.       

Milestone, Continued from page       1     Once the population was       targeted, the next focus was on ways to meet their needs. "It was clear       the world was moving in the direction of the information revolution and       that residents of HUD housing were being left farther and farther behind.       We believed that computers and technology were the bridge that would       connect them to the larger community," Retsinas       said.     Diana Goodwin-Shavey, vice       president/HUD housing group at CB Richard Ellis, an international real       estate advisory and brokerage firm, and the first Neighborhood Networks       national field director, explained that the climate was right when the       initiative started.     "It was becoming       clear that if education didn't become part of everyone's thinking,       especially as welfare-to-work and mark-to-market housing were evolving, we       were not going to have real estate that had any continued value unless the       people living there had jobs and a sense of belonging to the community,"       Goodwin-Shavey said. "Computers were a way to bridge the digital divide in       low income communities and provide opportunities for education. When we       went out into communities, we were told that Neighborhood Networks was the       best thing HUD had done in 20       years."     Goodwin-Shavey sees Neighborhood       Networks centers - and their computers - as an integral component of daily       living. "When the Federal Housing Administration started out, people       didn't put refrigerators into their homes. Now, they are a necessity. Now,       too, computers have become part of the living       environment."     Today, broad programmatic       opportunities are complementing the initiative's initial focus, said       Charles Famuliner, the national field director for Neighborhood Networks.       "While all centers share a common philosophy, each one develops       independently so that the programs and services they offer reflect the       desires, and needs, of their residents. Centers develop their own formula       for success and it's working."       

Computer Savvy, Continued from page       1     "It's really a magnet because       [the center] can be so many things to so many different people. It brings       different people together and it can answer almost everyone's needs. That       is really the underpinning of our center," said Devorah Fong, vice       president for public affairs at Starrett at Spring       Creek.     "Because of the incredible size of       Starrett at Spring Creek, its new Neighborhood Networks center makes an       important statement about the need for a computer-literate America," said       Charles Famuliner, national field director for Neighborhood Networks.      
Teaching children how to             use a computer is an important programming component at Starrett             Information Technology and Education       Center.     Despite       the concentration of people, apartment dwellers can feel isolated       regardless of how close they live to one another, Fong said. "Cultural       isolation is just one area where residents may feel alone," she said.       Therefore, the center is developing a broad spectrum of programs and       activities. For instance, to reduce feelings of isolation among Starrett's       large Russian population, computers are connecting immigrants to their       culture, homeland, friends and       relatives.     Fong emphasized the value of       her Neighborhood Networks center in terms of its usefulness to an       amazingly diverse population. Serving 20,000 residents, the center has       plans in place and more underway for children and youth, adults, job       seekers and the elderly. Fulfilling the Neighborhood Networks philosophy       about the value of computers in society, the Starrett center offered a       computer "camp" for children this summer and for adults, and Pace       University's Computer Learning Center offers certificate courses in a       number of popular software programs. Partnerships with Pace and       organizations such as the Jewish Agency for Services for the Aged enable       the center to provide programs and activities. "Partnership building is a       very important component to building our center," Fong       said.     "These centers are helping children       become better students, providing parents and adults access to job skills,       child care and transportation, and providing other important services that       help senior citizens build their personal independence," Famuliner said.       CENTER NEWSLINEPioneer Centers are       Models for Sustainability
     In       May 1996, two Neighborhood Networks centers in Louisiana were among the       first in the nation to open. These early centers in New Orleans and       Marrero have expanded and flourished, emerging as successful models for       other Neighborhood Networks       centers.     Antonio Gibson remembers the       day the Versailles Arms Computer Learning Center in New Orleans opened its       doors more than three years ago. At first, many residents were curious       about the eight computers at the center, but most were afraid to test the       new technology, said Gibson, the center director for job development.      
Obtaining a high school             diploma is important to residents at the Versailles Learning Center             where GED classes are       offered.     "The       center generated real excitement but it took some effort to get residents       comfortable with computers," Gibson said. "The last three years, we have       made a lot of progress in reaching out to residents and it is paying off.       Today, children and adults are constantly using the computers to improve       their skills and accomplish their       goals."     Trenzetta Barabin, a resident at       Versailles Arms Apartments, was one of the center's success stories. In       1996, Barbarin had been unemployed for four years when she enrolled in       computer classes at the center. Soon, she progressed from center volunteer       to part-time receptionist to full-time clerk and, eventually, to full-time       computer instructor. Her achievements enabled her to become a       homeowner.     Barbarin isn't the center's       only success story. Here are others:       - More than 100 residents found employment after completing computer         training.         
- One resident graduated from college and coordinated a VISTA/America         Reads Program at the center.         
- Dozens of residents participated in the pre-GED program and a         Homework Club for children. 

     The Versailles Arms       Computer Learning Center now has 20 computers and provides Internet       access. It has also obtained its nonprofit status, broadening its       potential number of supporters. The center is funded by HUD, the City of       New Orleans, Children's Trust Fund, United Way and the Louisiana       Commission on Law Enforcement. A HUD Drug Elimination grant funds a       substance abuse coordinator. With a staff of eight, the center provides an       array of services, such as GED preparation, job placement, parenting       classes, homework assistance, computer training, drug prevention, family       advocacy and employment training.     In May       1996, 10 residents at the Villa D'Ames Apartments in Marerro were the       first to take computer classes at the Foundations for Freedom Learning       Center, which was then equipped with eight computers. "The first residents       who walked into the center were really excited and that enthusiasm remains       strong today," said Cheryl Magee, center       director.     Today, the number of computers       has doubled, another computer room has been added and onsite child care is       available.       

HUD Neighborhood Networks             NEWS BRIEF

Written by: Barbara Kreisler, Bill WegerEditorial             Board: Lucinda Flowers, Jerry Garcia, Vivian Guilfoy, Susan             Guthrie, Barbara Kreisler, Carole Norris, Steve Seuser, Ayana             Shepherd, Debby Volk, Bill WegerManaging Editor: Barbara             KreislerLayout: ICF GraphicsOriginal Design:             Rudder Finn

Neighborhood Networks News Briefis published quarterly by             the Government Printing Office (GPO) through the U.S. Department of             Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Multifamily Housing.             It is distributed to the public, HUD field offices and Neighborhood             Networks centers. For additional copies, please call the             Neighborhood Networks Information Center toll-free at (888)             312-2743. 
Neighborhood Networks Centers in OperationThere are now more than 500 Neighborhood       Networks centers located in HUD-assisted and/or -insured housing       nationwide. Among recent centers to open are:            Visit       our website at http://web.archive.org/web/20000817024400/http://www.hud.gov/nnw/nnwindex.htmlHome | About Neighborhood Networks | What's New | PublicationsLocations & Information | Online Networking | Other Resources | GuestbookLast modified on: 04/11/00 Visitors : 215 Since 04/11/00